vp dex high
by Wanderer Lenn
Summary: OC Pokemon trainers/Pokemon attending high school together 3 (PS 109 made this cover I am eternally grateful for her beautiful skills :3)
1. Chapter 1

(Hey just writing a fic of some people from /vp/ dex, hope you like it)

"Lenn-sama, wait up!" he called, waving his hand above the mass of heads, eyes fixated on the unmistakable white hood.

The excitement of adrenaline coursed through his veins as the young Belf sped forward down the hall. "G-Gomenasai," he muttered under his hurried breath, shoving people out of the way as fast as he could just so he might make it in time- after all, class was about to start. Keeping one hand held tight on his backpack and the other directly in front of him, he moved as fast as he could, which was actually pretty slow. Beads of sweat rolled down from his forehead, mixing in with the tears in his ducts, stinging his eyes- but there was no time to spare. He knew he had to hurry.

Following the white hood, he hurried down the hall to the left, his heart racing faster and faster as he neared her. "L-Lenn, pls respond," he shouted, the mix of sweat and tears becoming too much. Wiping his eyes, he took a moment to clear them before looking forward, but to his disappointment, the girl was nowhere to be found. He stood there for a moment, wondering what to do, before a sharp, chest-stabbing sound rang through the speakers overhead.

"Crap, I'm late!"

Speed-walking over to his next class, he quickly opened the heavy door before throwing himself inside, quietly hovering in the back of the class as he scoped out a seat. Students already filled the back-half of the room, as well as the sides, leaving just a few desks in the very, very front open and not taken. _Fantastic_, Belf thought to himself as he made his way over, ignoring whoever he was sitting nearby and focusing on not tripping or something embarrassing. He looked down at his schedule, reading the title of the class quietly to himself.

"Pokemon.. Art?"

Not seconds later, the teacher stood up from his desk, walking over to the front of the class and sitting on an open desk, placing his foot on the seat as he looked over his roster. Belf laid his head down on his desk, the boredom eating away at his will as he listening as the uninteresting voice calling out names, raising his hand as his was crossed. But as he called out for Lenn, his heart lifted, and he looked around the room excitedly, looking for the white hood. But it wasn't there.

"Hey, face the front," the monotonous voice rung, "I have a high IQ so you should give me your full attention."

_Wow what a big ego that guy must have_, Belf thought, crossing his arms, glancing forward as he watched the teacher reaching for the screen string. _He's so short. _Sighing, Belf could feel a hint of blush on his cheeks as he remembered that Lenn was in this class. He closed his eyes, picturing the spaghetti that would be flowing from his pockets if she were there.

"All right," the teacher said, pointing a black remote at the ceiling and turning on the above projector. "Has anyone ever heard of Poke Quest before? We're going to read it," he said. "I know how much you all love my amazing comics."

"Questy is that you?" Belf asked, sitting up in his chair a little. Often he got on the Pokemon sub-forum of 4chan, and sometimes he would see Questy threads. They made him so jealous that he always made fake Questy threads, but he would use #RonPaul2012 as his trip instead of #█████████.

"Can we read Poke Quest, Cat Edition instead?" A voice asked from the back of the room. Belf looked back, and to his surprise the seemingly-masculine voice actually just came from a giant beard. "I love Spitty, she's so cute," it spoke.

"Hey, I have a high IQ," Questy muttered, displaying the first panel of Poke Quest on the screen. "Also, no."

Belf turned around and crossed his arms, feeling the rage begin to build inside of his chest. He seriously hated this class, but at least.. _L-Lenn-sama has this same class.. _His eyes gazed up at the screen in front of him, and he began to read with the rest of the class. They looked over horribly drawn Pokemon and the same blank Jovi expression copy/pasted 15 times, which really sucked since he'd have to look at it for a whole hour. And the worst part was.. [spoiler]It wasn't even funny.[/spoiler]


	2. Chapter 2

(I'll take this time to say I don't own Pokemon or anything Pokemon-related. Thanks for reading ou o)

Feeling the blush fade away from her cheeks, Lenn stared into the mirror in front of her. A tired expression, with dark smudges in the faded-tan skin beneath her eyes, stared blankly back, pupils slowly shrinking in size as the anxiety within her began to settle from it's rush. _Belf.. You make me feel so.. So.. _She could feel the anger begin to well in her chest, until..

_Riiiiiiiiing!_

She stood crossing her arms, looking off from the sight she saw as the glorious sound of the bell rang through the hall; at least, the breathed a sigh of relief. Lenn looked back in the mirror, only to realize that a couple of red horns poked out from the hood of her white jacket. Quickly, she pushed them back into her head, afraid that someone might have seen, just before exiting and returning to walk back down the hall. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't pay attention as she rounded the corner, bumping into another female full-on with her body.

She reeled back barely, but the other girl tumbled to the ground- luckily she landed on her side, which was sort of odd considering most people didn't have such a fast reaction time. But Lenn quickly forgot about it, realizing what she'd just done, a hot blush crossing her round cheeks. "Oh god I'm so sorry, are you okay?!" she asked frantically, taking the girl's hand and helping her up.

The girl looked up at her with a dazed look, a light blush crossing her face. She wore a dark set of clothes, but more notably a pair of white gloves. A red feather also dangled from one of her ears. "Oh, no it's okay, I didn't see you either," she said, taking a moment to fix her hair, styled in a short, almost boyish manner- it looked cute, and made her look especially young. It didn't help she was so tiny, either. Lenn stared for just a moment before noticing the fallen backpack, and she ducked down to pick it up.

"You already have a Pokemon?" Lenn asked, noticing a Great Ball had rolled out of the bag along the tiled floor. It seemed sort of strange, since First Years didn't receive a Pokemon until their 4th week of school. It seemed pretty neat though, and Lenn wondered what was inside, as she handed the ball and bag back to her.

The girl smiled. "Actually, it's empty," she said, her tone slightly sarcastic tone, though it felt more playful than serious. "I'm older than I look.."

Lenn blushed again, raising her hand to hold the back of her head. "Ah, well.. Sorry for just assuming there.." She apologized, though the girl didn't seem very offended or anything, just.. A bit lost mentally. _Wonder what Pokemon she received, then,_ Lenn wondered, glancing at the bag hanging off at the girl's hip, imagining what Pokemon was supposed to be in that ball.

The shorter female raised her head and tilted it a bit to the side, the two standing in silence. Not knowing what to say or do, Lenn sort of kept her eyes on the floor, sliding her hands into her pockets, just before- "Hey!" She suddenly felt herself being pulled back through the restroom door, with the girl's hand locked tightly on her arm, the other closing it quickly behind them. A new wave of panic overwhelmed her, completely freezing her, until the girl let go. She stayed quiet though, wondering what was happening that she had suddenly grabbed her like that. The girl kept close to the door, leaning one side of her head against the door with one gloved hand on the handle. After a moment she sighed, looking back at Lenn.

"Don't you know they give out detention slips for skipping class?" She waited for a moment before slowly turning the handle, sneaking out with half of her body to glance down the hall. She came back in, giving her a small, almost apologetic smile. "Yeah, we're safe. Gotta watch out, some teachers just like to get us in trouble like they have nothing better to do," she said, before scooping her hand through the air. "Come on, it's alright."

The two ventured out into the open beyond the school, and Lenn wondered where she might be going- she certainly didn't know where she was going, since she didn't really cut class. The wind felt fresh though, and the heat of the sun felt more like a light touch- it actually felt nice outside for once. The girl ducked around the corner, behind the school where no one really went, and Lenn curiously followed, sitting with her as she settled in a patch of grass.

"My name is Shannon," she said, crossing her legs and setting her hands in her lap, eyes staring out along the sky. "But I have an edgier nickname, Shadow, if you want to call me that." She looked over, smirking, just before doing an adorable laugh/inhale thing.

Lenn smiled, leaning back against the stone wall of the school as she curled up within her white hood. "I'm Lenn," she replied. "Thanks Shadow, for earlier I mean," she said, looking down at the grass.

Not long after, the echoes of the bell sounded beyond the school walls, and Shadow stood up. "Well, looks like it's back to class," she said, unfolding her schedule. "Let's see, umm.. 'Mastering-' No, wait.. 'Poke.. Genes'?"

"Wait, there's a genetics course? That sounds sort of advanced," Lenn said, opening her own schedule. "Oh, it's just an introductory course, it seems. It probably won't be that difficult," she said, about to fold her schedule back up. "I don't have it until next class though.."

"I'll wait outside and tell you about it then," Shadow said, smiling a bit. "Besides, it kinda sound like fun. Let's go~"

Lenn smiled, following the girl inside and waving her goodbye as she disappeared down the hall to the right. Walking down the 200 wing, she looked over the title of her next course. _'Pokemon Training II.' Sounds pretty okay.._ she thought, s_hould be in the gym, like last year._ Stepping out into the cool air again, Lenn made her way down the concrete path and entering a separate building, approaching the door to the gymnasium before noticing a paper taped to the door.

"Students who are have PT2 please report to the Stadium. Thank you."

_Ah.._ Lenn thought, making sure the class was right on her schedule before folding it back up, and sliding it into her pocket.

_Hope I'm not.._

_Riiiiiiiiing!_

"Late!" Lenn cried, before rushing back out the door, and towards the giant stadium in the distance.


	3. Chapter 3 (Part 1)

(Part 1 ou o)

Shadow waved goodbye to her newly-found friend, watching the white hood bob off into the sea of people. practically everyone had their schedules out, standing around close to the walls or bumping into other people looking for their classes. Taking a moment herself to review the location of her class, she pulled her schedule back out with one of her gloved hands, eyes quickly scanning until she found the classroom number. _Room 313_, she thought, _That should be right down.._

Approaching the end of the hall, at least she found the room. Shadow quietly slipped, slipping the schedule in her pocket as she scored a seat on the side of the classroom, pretty close to the door. She took a moment to gather her thoughts before looking up at the wall in front of her. But as she took in her surroundings, her brow began to lower, and she pulled her schedule back out to look at it once more. _I don't understand_, she thought, turning her head as she glanced around the room, noticing the perfectly reasonable counters in back, each containing sinks with white plastic cabinets displaying balances and beakers above them. _It certainly looks like a lab class, but.._

Not a speck of the original off-yellow walls could be seen, and instead, a ton of cat posters were plastered onto the walls. The majority of them were straight and aligned at their sides, but some were turned upside down, and some at an odd angle from the others. Instead of the sickly yellow feeling that most of the classrooms gave off,

Just then something brushed past her leg, and Shannon instinctively leaped within her desk, holding tight onto the edges of the fake wood. She might have been more scared if whatever it was wasn't smooth, almost fluffy, and even a bit playful. Just beneath the desk, a small, cream-colored cat appeared, its huge light eyes and large gold emblem shining in the artificial light of the room. It mewed affectionately, rubbing up against the girl's leg again, its soft fur plush and warm against her cool skin. The girl breathed a sigh of relief, stretching out her leg to the side as she watched the cat, resting her chin on her hand. _Such a strange place,_ she thought to herself, eyes still glancing around even as the Meowth continued at her leg.

Just then, a girl came up and stood in front of the class. Wild tendrils of golden hair pinned up behind her head in a cute knot, a series of wispy ringlets resting upon her forehead and the sides of her head and framing her light, sky-blue eyes. A white lab coat hung loosely over her normal clothes, the ends reaching almost to the floor, obviously two sized large for her. "Guys, come on, settle down, I'm supposed to be starting class~" She squeaked, arms raised in the air as she bounced up and down on her tip-toes to try and gather the group of student's attention- her students.

"A little short to be called 'Teacher,'" A masculine voice muttered, sounding from a taller blonde man sitting diagonal to Shadow. A white skull mask covered his face, which he tipped up just slightly with the point of his thumb, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back in his seat.

Shadow looked over at the male, feeling strange about his comment- she was almost equally as short as the teacher, maybe just an inch taller. She never liked hearing anyone pick on someone for their height, though. Shadow placed one of her hands over the other, holding back the tension she felt inside of her. _Nothing to get so worked up over_, she thought to herself. The guy stayed quiet though as the class settled, not saying anything further though he was obviously uninterested, even as the teacher began to explain the class.

"All righty! So now that I've got everyone's attention.." the female started, turning around to face the dry-erase board behind her. She picked up a blue marker, and began writing her name out. "My name is Miss Reister, and this is Introduction to PokeGenes. This class is meant to prepare you for your lab course you'll be taking next year, that is.. If you pass.."

After writing her name, Miss Reister began drawing a cat on the board.

"You see.. There are some interesting things that go on with Pokemon and their trainers, both on the level of friendship and the level of genetics. I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about when I say that we'll be exploring a lot about what goes on between the two levels, between best friends of Pokemon and their Trainers."

Shadow curled up her arms tighter, resting her head within them as she glanced sideways, looking around the room. A few other students shifted uncomfortably in their seats, a sight which sent a small wave of panic through her chest.

"But don't even worry! Over 75% of students experience it before becoming a Third Year, and the rest before becoming a Fourth. It's a perfectly natural thing to happen. Now, allow me to demonstrate just what I mean, and maybe you'll understand a bit better. Finn, come on out!"

Out of nowhere, a Meowth jumped up onto a desk in front of the classroom, meowing softly as it looked at the class with its bright blue eyes.

_ That's the one from earlier!_ Shadow recalled, now leaning forward in her desk, all eyes of the classroom on the cat and her trainer. Some students watched nervously, and even Shadow could feel her fists balling up. Even the guy from earlier was now paying attention, and a universally sick feeling resonated trough those in the class who understood what was about to happen.

_This.. This can't be happening.._

Without warning, the Pokemon leaped our right towards Miss Reister's chest, claws aiming right above her heart.


	4. Chapter 3 (Part 2)

(Part 2)

As the two connected, a brilliant white light encompassed both of their physical forms, blurring the outlines as if they were both Pokemon evolving. Slowly, the larger shape absorbed the smaller directly into its chest, and as the light began to die down, the new form began to solidify. Two ears atop a human head perked forward in attention, a wave of curled hair falling down its shoulders, its hands rounded off into cute paws. A long, curled tail waved around the sides of the creature as the light faded off, and the class waited in silence for something to happen.

"Nyaaa, aren't I adorable?" Miss Reister meowed, turning and waving her tail into the air. She began dancing, and instead of weird, stumbly foot actions, she moved with the grace of a cat, her paws practically soundless as they moved across the floor.

Shadow watched, unsure what to think. _How could she just do that, in the middle of everything..?_ She wondered to herself, looking at the expressions around the teacher. To her surprise, the other students seemed entranced by it is, fascinated. But as Shadow watched the beautiful cat dance, she could only feel pain within her, her head feeling twisted inside, like someone was squeezing it with two huge hands. Why does this always have to happen.. She thought to herself, setting her head down in hopes of stopping it. But she always had this kind of pain, and nothing she did ever seemed to stop it, other than falling asleep. Since she couldn't sleep she simply continued to watch, as in some way she was unable to pull her eyes from the sight of the teacherw.

Miss Reister stopped after a moment, raising one of her paws to her face as her mouth curled into a cute cat grin.

"See? There's nothing to fear, as it is a perfectly normal thing to happen, or to be performed, especially with a Pokemon you're close friends with." Miss Reister settled on the top of an empty desks in front, holding out her hands in front of her as a hole of white light appeared briefly atop her chest, her features vanishing instantly as the Meowth jumped out and back into her arms. "This class is all about understanding this phenomenon; why it happens, how, and what goes on at the base of this process."

Shadow listened as the questions arose from the class, but as her question remained unasked, she began to feel uneasy. Did no one else feel the same way she did? Did it not happen to anyone else? She looked down at her white gloves, eyes losing themselves in them as she was brought back to a moment not too long ago. The classroom faded around her to show instead the comforts of her own room. Walls covered in cute posters, pictures, and even Christmas lights, sending a warm glow about the entire place, something you could only get with a true home. She looked down to see her partner curled up within her lap, exhausted from their day of training. Shadow understood why, since their day went on a little different than expected; tons of new graduated trainers were celebrating in the park, and the battling crowd they were so used to grinding against were nearly ten levels above. So outmatched in fact, she had to rush her companion to the nearby Pokemon center. She stroked its smooth fur as she watched him slowly fall asleep, eventually picking him up to head off to bed. But as she stood, a horrible pain began to pound within her head, and in a sudden burst of light a hole opened in her chest, absorbing him within her body. Shadow searched for her friend for weeks, but could never find him after that night. She'd killed him in a manner she didn't even understand, and couldn't even control.

And then, suddenly she was back in the classroom. Miss Reister stood erasing the board, while the rest of the students chatted amongst themselves about what they'd seen. Backpacks rested on everyone's shoulders, and everyone was standing within their friend circles as they waited for the bell to ring. But Shadow still needed to know.

"Hey, Miss Reister," she said, approaching the woman. She had been right, the two were of similar height, and she barely had to look down to be eye-level with her.

"Ooo, that's a cute Finn," the teacher cooed, looking down at the Meowth purring within her arm's cradle. She set down the eraser, and turned to realize Shadow was standing there before smiling to her. "Oh hello, can I help you with something?"

Shadow could feel the nervousness curling in her stomach as she thought of a normal way to ask such a strange question. "How am I supposed to get him out?" She simply stated, feeling the nervousness die down. Just as she did, and completely involuntarily, the feather hiding up within her hair perked to the side just a bit before falling back to point at her shoulder. Shadow blushed, restraining her hand from calling attention to the red feather.

"Ah, so it's not just an earring," Miss Reister commented. "Well, rest assured. Your friend is safe and sound. But that's a lesson for another day." He looked over to Finn, watching the little kitty doze off in her arms, her hand gently petting the adorably-curled tail. "If you'd like a tip though.. Try to think of what changed when it happened." She said nothing more, and actually sounded quite serious about her advice. Shadow gave a sigh, returning to her seat, before the rush of students out the door indicated that the bell had rung.

. . .

As she stepped out, she noticed that a girl that was sitting directly in front of her stand, a backpack in the shape of a Crobat draped across her back and shoulders. Out of excitement Shadow perked up. "Awwh, hey that's really cool!" she stated affectionately, "Where'd you get that awesome Crobat backpack?"

The girl seemed confused for a moment, turning around to realize someone had addressed her. "Oh, Crobat here?" she replied, tugging lightly at the purple claw at her shoulder. Suddenly the bad sprung to life, springing off the girl's back and hovering in the air next to her desk. "Yeah, he likes to hang out and sleep on my back like that."

Something about how the girl spoke gave off the thought that she might be an exchange student, or someone not originally from the area. But Shadow found the way she spoke more endearing than weird. "That's really cool," Shadow exclaimed, her eyes temporarily lighting in excitement as she looked over the Pokemon she'd never seen before. She knew how the annoying Zubat could be worth catching if one figured out how to evolve it, but most trainers didn't care about them seriously enough to really want to see it evolve. As she looked over the long, fine wings and the cheery expression on the bat's face she knew that this girl didn't just raise it to fill a slot on her dex, but rather because she loved the Pokemon.

"I hear Golbat have to be really happy to evolve," she spoke, smiling at her. "You must love your Crobat a lot!"

The girl smiled politely, a tiny bit of blush apparent on her cheeks. "Yeah, we make a pretty great team," the girl commented, raising her arm to let the bat smoothly perch on it. "Come on, Crobat, let's head to our next class!"

"Crow!" the bat-Pokemon sounded as the two girls stepped out into the hall, and into the fluffy of students.

Shadow stopped in front of the classroom, standing near the door as she looked to her new friend. "Oh, umm.. I said I'd wait here, if that's okay."

The girl nodded, glancing at her Pokemon before turning back to Shadow. "Hey it's no problem."

Suddenly her and her Crobat glowed white, and in seconds the girl sprouted wings from the corners of her head. Their transformation was so fast that even Miss Reister's didn't even compare, and soon Shadow watched in awe as the two flew off down the hall, just above the heads of the other trainers.

Slinking to the floor, Shadow crossed her arms over her legs, setting her head on her knees as the bell rang over the intercom.

_Riiiiiiing!~_

"I think I need to go home.."


	5. Chapter 4

As he shuffled in between desks, the man gave a soft sigh.

Bits and wads of paper littered the floor, pencil halves, pen caps.. How did these kids ever manage to function on their own? Questy rolled this over in his head as he meticulously retrieved every bit off the desks, taking the broom he had in the closet and sweeping up the remnants of his students from the floor. It sucked, since it was A lunch, and A lunch was his lunch. But he never really did anything during lunch; he didn't even eat. Questy only filled his attention with small tasks such as cleaning so it would make him feel better about himself.

Once he'd completed his task Questy opened the think wooden door of the closet. Being a teacher of art, the school was gracious enough to give him almost half a classroom's worth of space in that closet, which was really more like half a classroom itself. It connected to the other classroom on the other side of the wall; but they rarely ever came in to use it. It was the only space Questy could really call his own, for he never felt comfortable at his house, living with his mom, rubbing gross cream on her swollen feet from the diabeetus. Being snapped at, by a woman who was constantly on-edge with him. It seemed that he never did anything right, or so his mother forced him to believe.

A set of sturdy, wood shelves connected to the wall, made to hold heavy bins full of materials for the class. A small opening held just between the bins, where a pillow was propped up against one of the totes, and a thin sheet lay curled up in a ball closer to the other. Questy curled up within that space, staring out at the opposite wall, lines with marked boxes. He didn't know where it all came from, but figured it was from the previous teacher before him, since he was so new. His own space wasn't even really his, come to think of it. He closed his eyes, wrapping the sheep up in his arms as he rest his head against the pillow as he thought of a better place maybe, somewhere out there. He nestled his face into the sheet, breathing in the faint soapy scent as he lay there, relaxing. _There has to be._

Suddenly a loud sound crashed in from the classroom, and Questy was up in a heartbeat. He opened the door, running a hand through his hair to make sure it wasn't too messy as he noticed a sort of shorter female, standing nearby his desk.

"What are you doing here?" his apathetic voice sounded through the room.

The girl turned around, a pair of black-bordered cat ears twitching atop her head in his direction. "Hmmmm?" the girl responded. Her curled tail swished along the sides of her thighs, gently swatting at her white lab coat, which was more like a white umbrella covering her body. "Oh, I just wanted to say hi, since you were new around here," the female purred, bringing her paws up to her kawaii cat mouth. as she began circling around him, looking him over.

"You're so handsome too! I think I'll call you.. Something sweet~"

"Y-You don't have to call me anything," Questy said, backing away with his hands held out in front of him. "People with high IQs such as mine don't need something as common and degrading as a nickna-"

Within seconds the cat pounced, wrapping her arms around his narrow body as she buried her face into his chest. Feeling her body heat against him, he fought the urge to simply toss her off and run like hell out of the room, and instead just stood there like a frozen statue, looking down at the mass of gold ringlets.

"Your eyes are so beautiful Sweetie~" the girl purred, looking up at Questy through her own bright blue ones. He simply noticed, too nervous to act or think as she held on for just another moment until she finally let go. Completely unaware of his previous discomfort, the girl glanced down at her watch, her eyes widening with excitement. "Lunch is ending soon, better go!"

She turned then, tail whipping in the air behind her as she headed for the door. whipping her tail in the air as she turned to head for the door. Escaping the daze he'd been lost in, Questy realized she was about to leave, and reached his hand in efforts to stop her. "Hey, wait-"

The door shut behind her, and he was left standing there, wondering what had happened.

_Was she half-cat or something?_

_. . . _

The bell sounded through the intercom, and soon a tumbling mass of students flooded the hallways. They began to gather in front of his room, and Questy gave a small sigh, closing the door to the closet as he opened the door to his class, the blob of students rushing in. Propping the door open with a wooden wedge, he went back to his desk, setting down as he watched the classroom fill up, students taking the two back rows of seats and then the sides. He glanced over the empty front desks, giving a small sigh as he imagined the female from before sitting there, as close as she could get to him, eager to watch him begin his class.

_Strange.._ He thought to himself. _That wouldn't have bothered me before.._

His thoughts cut off as the bell sounded sharply through the school, the image of the girl fading as the class began to settle on their own. He stood and made his way over, setting on the desktop he'd imagined the girl would pick. Questy glanced down at the roster, setting it upon his lap as he began calling out names.


	6. Chapter 5

_Today's just going to be another boring class,_ Mado thought, holding one of the straps of his backpack as he glanced down at the thin slip between his fingers. he didn't even care about his next classes- what was the point of even going? He saw none, and saw no reason for there to even be a school for Pokemon trainers such as himself. He didn't like how the school kept students unaware of the world of Pokemon until their first day of high school, practically stunting their potential compared to the towns that simply give their children Pokemon at the ripe blossoming age of ten years old. _At least they let their students learn on their own accord,_ he thought to himself. _Not just writing papers and speculating. _

But as he made his way to his next class, he knew that he couldn't simply move away. His parents liked it here, and liked the thought of putting their children through a school for Pokemon, instead of just letting them wanderer around freely as they did when they were ten. He wondered if he should run off when he got his own Pokemon- he very well could. But he also understood that he was somewhat naive to the world of Pokemon, just as he'd been raised through the school system to be. It almost made him sick how much he depended on it. He figured he might just stay, or at least stay until he had no other choice.

He noticed a sign on the door, placing his finger on it as he read it. "To the.. Stadium?" he spoke quietly to himself. _Hmm, odd._

Mado took no rush in heading to his class, noticing a small perch of students sitting along the bottom of the bleachers. No teacher was in sight. He took to one of the higher steps, sitting alone in the corner and away from everyone else. _I just want this day to end.._

From the corner of his eye he could see someone sitting on the other end of the bleachers, in the high corner just like he was. Turning his head just a bit, he looked closer at the person, realizing that half of their face was gone, and instead, a long shaggy beard grew. He touched his own chin, wishing he could become a full-beard like that guy, but knowing deep down that he could never be so manly as to grow a beard. Mado didn't even realize that the other person was staring until it was too late- they stood, and Mado quickly looked away, putting his hand down and awkwardly holding the straps of his backpack. _Oh god, they're coming over-_

"Yo, Meadow!" the guy sounded, raising his hand as he made his way through the bleachers towards Mado.

Mado just sort of crumpled into his corner, but he didn't want to be r00d, and so he looked over, raising his hand in a very unexcited way. "Oh, hey Barnes," he said, pulling his bag to sit on his lap. Its straps unraveled to reveal stubby little arms and legs, with a stubby little head peeking out from one of the holes of the hard, red shell.

"Hey, that's kinda cool," Barnes said, taking a seat next to Mado. "How's Shreckle doing?"

Mado looked down at the Pokemon on his lap, prodding the shell lightly. "Oh, it's okay I guess, I wouldn't really know since it's a Pokemon," he said. The Shuckle ducked his head back into the shell, his legs feeling around as they slipped back inside as well.

Barnes placed his hand on his beard, stroking it thoughtfully. "Hmm. It doesn't really look like you two have bonded that much," he observed, reaching his hand out then to touch a white ring around one of the openings. "That's kind of odd since you know, it's been almost a year since we got them." He pulled his hand back, setting both on the straps of his own bag, leaning back against the protective fence behind them.

Mado just looked down at the shell, giving a small shrug. "Yeah, I don't go out and train it or anything," he said.

"We should battle sometime Meadow," Barnes said, pulling his hand up and pointing to his shoulder with his thumb. "Me and my Pokemon are pretty close, if you know what I mean." He smiled, before giving his beard another stroke.

Mado could feel a bit of blush riding into his cheeks. "I-I just don't see why people would want to fuse with their Pokemon, or what the whole point of it is," he stammered, his fingers curling nervously into his jean pockets. "Besides, it's sort of.. Well.. Freaky.."

"Hey, you two! Get your scrawny asses down here!"

Mado and Barnes looked around as the voice yelled at them, and they both noticed that the teacher had made the scene. The class had also grown exponentially since they first got there; they quickly grabbed their stuff and started stepping down the bleachers.

. . .

"So how many of you are taking þis class because you þought it would be interesting, or a good experience?" the teacher questioned, stepping towards one end of the class-sized mass. Upon his white shirt existed a brown vest, a brown belt holding up his darker pants round his waist. A couple small-sized pokeballs could be seen hanging off the side, his hands were clasped behind his back. The man was absolutely huge, almost 6'4" in height, his presence towering over the students who practically huddled together as he spoke.

Only a few students raised their hands in response.

"And how many of you are taking þis class because you need þe credit?" He began making his way over to the other side of the class, taking slow, strong steps, the sounds of his boots clanking deeply against the shallow aluminum platform in front of them. The rest of the class sheepishly raised their hands.

"..Right."

The teacher turned, stepping over to the middle.

"Well, let's make sure you still get a good experience out of þis anyways. Now, out onto the field. Let's go!" he pulled up a whistle out of nowhere, and the clammy body of students rushed down the light metal stairs, spreading out along the green grass. In the middle of the field was a large square of rich tan dirt, with a symbol of a Pokeball displayed in lines of chalk on top of it.

"Now," the teacher started, stepping out into the corner of the field. "Find a partner, and we'll begin wiþ training."

. . .

Upon the dirt, four columns of trainers lined up, each outer facing inwards and each inward facing out. Mado looked over across the field at Barnes, shrugging from obvious discomfort "I didn't really think we'd start on day one," he muttered. The two of them stood before each other, separated by a distance of about ten yards, just as the other pairs were.

"It doesn't matter if you haven't mastered your potentials yet. Fight by eiþer using your Pokemon, or wiþ it." the teacher called out.

"Begin!"

Mado looked down at the shell he held in his arms, wondering what he should do. "Hey," he said, "Come on, wake up.."

Barnes smiled, pointing at his shoulder with his thumb. "We've totally got this." He pulled a ball from his bag, tossing it out into the air in front of him. "Come on out, Typhlosion!" A rush of light emitted from the Pokeball as it burst open, and a giant badger-like Pokemon materialized before him. A sharp blaze rose up from its shoulders and back as it roared into the air, raising up on two feet to face its opponent.

_Damn, that thing's already as tall as I am,_ Mado thought, gulping as he looked down at Shuckle. "Come on,we've gotta fight.. Go, Shreckle!" He yelled as he walked out to the middle of the field, setting the shell down a few yards from the Typhlosion.

Sensing the heat radiating from the Pokemon, Shreckle peeked it thin head out from its shell, followed by its four legs.

"Yo! Heat em up with your Ember attack, Typhlosion!"

In a swift flurry, the Typhlosion leaped over to the Shuckle, a hot burst of fiery energy rushing towards the shell Pokemon as he passed by its side. The Pokemon reeled back, skidding across the loose dirt as it curled up into its shell and slid to a stop. It popped back out, the side of its shell blackened from the hit, but instead of going back towards the Typhlosion it began crawling back over to Mado.

"H-Hey! You're supposed to be fighting, what are you coming to me for!" Mado cried out, running around as Shreckle chased him.

"Hahaha. Well Mado, it looks like I'm going to win, even if you've got the type advantage over me," Barnes said, looking to his Typhlosion, who stood next to him by now. "You ready Typhlosion?"

He reached out his hand just as the Typhlosion extended its, and a white light began to form between the two.

"Let's go!"

The two stepped in towards each other as the white light encompassed them. Their bodies merged, and as the light quickly faded, Mado could tell that it was Barnes standing there.. But nothing looked different about him, apart from the new black ears atop his head.

Suddenly Barnes fell down to all fours, his body mirroring the form of his Typhlosion. He leaped forward, fire raging up from his back and expanding around him, encircling him as he rushed towards the Shuckle at an almost inhuman speed. But it wasn't just him; it was also his Pokemon. The two moved together as one, and would defeat their opponents together. "Flame Wheel!" Barnes called out, and the two crashed into the shell Pokemon in a burst of flames. It reeled back with so much force that it skittered into the surrounding grass.

"Hey, Shreckle!" Mado yelled, running over to his Pokemon. He placed his hands on its shell, but quickly pulled away as the heat singed his hand. "Come on, get up!"

"þat Shuckle isn't able to fight anymore, kid."

Mado looked up to see the teacher staring down at a pocket watch, before snapping it shut. "Nice timing þough, þat was a fast battle. Also you, great job on þat fusion technique," he said, and Mado noticed Barnes and his Typhlosion had come up too. "I'm declaring you two partners for þe season, because I þink you two could learn off each oþer."

Barnes raised a hand and touched the back of his head, laughing a little. "Well, I am pretty good I guess.."

"I did say boþ of you, could learn" the teacher said, kneeling down to place his hand on the cooling shell. "For instance, your actions proved you care more about your own victory than the health of Pokemon, even if it was your opponents." He pulled a bottle from the pouch at his side, running his fingers over the scorched area of the Shuckle's shell. It flinched as he began to administer the treatment. "Mado, your Shuckle here was just trying to get your attention earlier so you'd see its burn, and either heal it or direct it to heal itself. Does your Shuckle know Rest?"

Mado looked over at Barnes, noticing the same stricken look on his face that he had. "Well, it has been sleeping a lot.."

"Good, then that's useful to know. Gotta pay attention to your Pokemon, alright guys?" the teacher said, patting the healed burn gently, smiling as the Shuckle gave a small grin. He stood back up, clapping his hands on the boys' shoulders. "Good work. You two can go back now."

. . .

Mado gave a sigh, looking down at the shell in his arms as the majority of the class continued on the field, though some had returned to the bleachers after the teacher directed them back. Glancing back out, Mado noticed the teacher kept going around giving advice and helping out students. "Hey," he said, turning towards Barnes, sitting next to him. "What was his name anyways?"

"Hang on," Barnes said, setting his bag of chips in his lap before reaching into his pocket for his schedule. "Uhhhhhh.. Pinkerton..?"

"Oh, okay." Mado said, looking back at the field. He couldn't help but feel a little offended about the things Pink had said to them. But maybe he did have a point. He looked back down at Shreckle, noticing the small head looking at him from just beneath his shell. Maybe he wasn't really paying much attention to it. And it was a living creature, and his own Pokemon, whether he caught it or not.

"Hey, I'm sorry about earlier. I should have seen that you were burned, and helped," Mado said, smiling a small smile down at his Pokemon. The Shuckle gave a small grin back, before another fit of sleep caught over him, and he withdrew back into his shell. Mado gave a small sigh, patting the red shell before as he looked back to Barnes. "It'd be really nice to start training with Shreckle. Are we still on for that battle?"

"You bet," Barnes said, crumpling up the finished chip bag. "I usually hang out at the park with friends after school, and we all kind of train with each other. You can join us if you want," he offered, smiling.

"I don't know.. I never liked going to that park," Mado commented, but was stopped mid-thought as he noticed someone approaching the two in the background. It was a female with medium-length hair, covered by a fluffy white hood. She was also wearing jeans, and a backpack on her shoulders.

"Hey, Barnes, Mado!" she called, setting her bag down on a seat next to them. "Geez, it took forever getting here. Did I miss much?"

Mado looked at the Lenn, chuckling just a bit. "Yeah, you already missed the first lesson. Pink's going to have a fit."

"Oh no, really?" she said, looking down towards the group still on the field. "Oh man, this is so awkward.."

"Hey, don't worry," Barnes said, "There were some people who were excluded from pairs, sitting on the other end. Maybe try that?"

The group looked over across the field to see a group of about three or four students scattered around the bleachers. No one really understood why they had chosen not to fight in the group lesson, but Pink didn't seem upset by it. Mado figured they must have had a reason, or else Pink would have been all over them for not participating.

"Thanks, I'll go check it out," she commented, picking her bag back up and stepping back down the steps.

. . .

The bell rang not too long afterwards, and Mado and Barnes stood up and started heading down the bleachers. Mado couldn't help but notice that Pink had gone to address the other group across from the stadium; Lenn had joined the crowd there, too. They all sat with a strange look on their face as pink stood in front of them, waving his arms around in the air.

_Well I guess I'd be terrified too, if that teacher were yelling at me.._

"Hey Mado, what's your next class?" Barnes asked, holding his schedule in hand.

Mado tried to recall as he pulled his schedule back out, unable to remember on-hand as he began opening it. "Umm.. I actually have lunch next, apparently. What about you?"

Barnes shook his head. "Oh, I actually have another class, and then lunch," he said. "I wish I had lunch next too. Man I'm so hungry!"

Mado shrugged, holding onto Shuckle's arms and legs and it held onto his back. "Yeah, I'll probably be alone then." The two came to the cross, and Mado stepped off towards the cafeteria.

"Welp, see ya Mado," Barnes said, walking off through the double doors towards his next class.

. . .

_Man, this sucks. I hate having lunch alone,_ Mado thought, stepping down the steps and into the lunchroom. Tons of students already flocked at their tables, and he tried remembering where he'd sat last year. He decided to step out into the courtyard instead, not feeling really hungry after all. As he walked out, he looked right out along the wall where the courtyard ended, spotting a familiar face.

"Hey, Mado! Geez, it's been all summer since I've seen you," Shadow said as Mado settled on the concrete nearby.

"Yeah, it had been a while," he said. He didn't really feel like talking, but Shadow was nice so it was okay, he guessed.

"I was afraid I'd be here all alone," she said. "Hey, we all should meet at the park later today, so we can all hang out together. It's be really fun." she said, holding onto her bag as she looked out amongst the people in the distance.

"Just like old times.. Right?"

Mado looked forward at the collection of wandering students, a tiny bit of guilt twinging in his chest. He never liked going to that park, and didn't like how it was treated as some place for students to fight and show off for each other; but most of all, the entire idea of fusing with a Pokemon bothered him. It scared him, that loss of control over his body, thinking it might just happen to him one day if he ever had a good friendship with a Pokemon. And so Mado never would join his friends, would never actually fight a battle with Shreckle using his honest effort. He would never actually try to show his Pokemon that he cared. He didn't want that attachment. But a Pokemon was more than just an object- it too had feelings, felt fear, joy, pain. Mado never realized how wrong and selfish he'd been in his actions, to both his friends and his Pokemon, the only thing that would have his back 100% if he just gave it the love it needed.

He looked down at the Pokemon in his lap, watching as the Shuckle rested peacefully within it. He placed his hand on the side of the shell and patted the area where the burn was, just gently, so that it didn't wake up. It did have a long day after all, fighting for him.

"Right."


End file.
